By Ross Hartshorn, managing director, Sheerline.
We have a habit of doing things differently – when we launched Garnalex, it was with a view to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported aluminium – something that has stood us in good stead over the past few years.
Later, when we launched Sheerline, the ethos was the same: doing things differently. We designed a system that would overcome the inherent issues associated with legacy designs, processes, and approaches within the industry.
But it’s not just our products that have enabled us to stand out. We also pride ourselves on being a people-first systems house – we focus on our customer service, delivery standards (including OTIF), and make sure support is available when it’s needed most.
The result has been an award-winning range of products that offer practical solutions, transparency around U-values and thermal performance, and longevity. To maintain the standards we’ve achieved, we have a strategic programme of continual investment in place.
The heart of our fully-vertically integrated manufacturing site
A really good example of this within the business is the proactive maintenance we carry out across the site. This ensures we remain compliant and that our service is as reliable, responsive, and agile as it possibly can be.
Our SMS HybrEx press sits at the heart of all our manufacturing activities, whether for our Garnalex or Sheerline customers. It was carefully selected for our state-of-the-art aluminium extrusion plant because it’s more energy efficient than a traditional hydraulic press.
To give a bit of background, when we ordered the press it was one of only 14 or 15 in the world. SMS presses are popular with extruders, but the HybrEx is what makes it rare due to its part electric, part hydraulic functionality.
When it arrived in 2019 it was with a police escort to ensure it could get to us in Derbyshire, navigating the narrow country roads surrounding our single manufacturing site. It was a landmark moment for everyone involved because it was our first foray into aluminium.
What proactive maintenance looks like
We specialise in the extrusion of grade 6063 aluminium to streamline our operations. Our press extrudes 4 tonnes of aluminium per hour, with billets that are 9 inches in diameter and up to 1,400mm in length, and it can quickly change dies with no downtime.
This ensures efficiency remains central to our operations. While we have a regular programme of maintenance in place to look after the press, we also complete larger, scheduled tasks periodically.
For example, we recently replaced the container and stem, which weigh 10 tonnes and had to be lifted with specialist equipment. The stem is the rod that forces the billet through the container and die, which is heated to 450 degrees.
As part of our approach to proactive maintenance, we’ve changed this container earlier than necessary – it was our second container, with the first being changed in 2022. We carried out the work during a bank holiday weekend to minimise disruption to the company.
In addition, we increased production in advance to ensure we had stock if needed, which reflects our proactive culture across the whole operation, not just on the maintenance side.
And as aluminium is an inherently sustainable material and we champion sustainable practices, the first container that was removed was reinstalled after being refurbished. It’s been relined and the heaters have been changed giving it a new lease of life.
Successfully completing this task has been a great result for the maintenance team – it’s taken careful planning and time to ensure everything is right – not just in terms of the replacement process but making sure everything is aligned and working as it should be.
This approach to maintenance – planning, consideration, technical knowhow, and the right people in the right roles – reflects our approach to service, which is embedded in our culture. Going above and beyond what is required is what differentiates us at Sheerline.
